Thursday, March 24, 2016

Topo Athletic Hydroventure Review

If you have
been following my blog for a while, you know that I really like Topo Athletic shoes.They offer shoes with a low heel drop and
wide toe box.This allows your toes to
spread out instead of feeling claustrophobic like in most shoes.The durability of the materials that they use
is excellent as well.The MT is one of
the first shoes that I tested out on my blog.It is still one of my favorite trail shoes because it is so light,
comfortable, and really flexes with your foot.

If you are
not familiar with Topo Athletic shoes,
they fit snug in the heel and midfoot, while it they are loose in the
toebox.The wide toe box allows your
toes to spread out, which has several benefits.This will not only help you be more stable, but will also reduce foot
injuries commonly caused by shoes that compress your toes.

I have
tested 8 shoes from Topo Athletic and
have been impressed with every one.Here
are some of my past reviews.

Topo Athletic just released the Hydroventure,
which is its first waterproof trail shoe.Topo Athletic uses a single layer
of eVent material that will keep your feet dry while still remaining breathable
and durable.When I first heard about
this waterproof shoe, I knew I had to test it out.I am not a big fan of wet feet and am always
afraid that it will promote blisters, so I was excited to give the Hydroventure
a try.

The Hydroventure
is the lightest weight, fully waterproof trail shoe on the market at only 9.7
ounces for a men’s size 9.It features a
3mm heel drop, which is low enough to still allow your body to remain in a
neutral alignment.

I was also
impressed by the EVA midsole that has a flexible rock plate to protect your
feet against those jagged rocks or tree roots that can end up bruising your
foot.That is never fun and can take
quite a while to recover from.I found
that the flexibility and construction allow for a very smooth, but responsive
experience.

The front of
the shoe has a nice toe cap that will protect you when your legs are tired and
you accidentally kick a rock because you didn’t pick your foot up high
enough.I know that has happened on more
than one occasion for me (and again during my testing, but more on that in a
bit).Like the rest of the Topo Athletic trail shoe lineup, I was
really pleased with the fit and that these shoes run true to size.The snug heel and wide toe box make for a
very pleasurable run and lets your toes spread out.

So let’s
talk about the elephant in the room, the waterproofing.This is my first experience with a waterproof
shoe and I had to put it to the test, even before I hit the trails.I first filled up my kitchen sink, put the Hydroventure
on my hand, and into the water it went.Low and behold, my hand stayed completely dry.The picture didn’t turn out so I took a
picture of the front of the shoe in a clear bowl filled with water.I was more than please with the test.Now onto the trail testing.

I took the
Hydroventure out for a 6.5 mile trail run with streams and plenty of technical
single track fun.The fit was awesome
and my feet didn’t slip around at all.I
ran through streams, stood in them, and other than my feet feeling cold from
the water, they were dry as a bone.The
eVent material worked flawlessly.My
favorite part about the waterproofing though is that my shoes were completely
covered in mud.I just stood in the
creek about a mile before I got to the car and washed them off.It was great.

I also am
grateful for the reinforced rubber toe cap.I got overconfident when I was running down the hill and had my first
trail running fall.My toe got caught on
a rock and I probably would have broken my toe (or at least jammed it really
bad) but the toe cap worked so well, the only pain I felt was to my knee,
shoulder and ego.No major injuries,
just some minor scrapes and swelling.

Topo
Athletic has really stepped up the game with the Hydroventure.Not only is the Hydroventure
the lightest waterproof trail shoe on the market, but it cost less than most
waterproof trail shoes. This feather
light shoe comes with a low heel drop, breathable mesh upper, flexible outsole,
and a rock plate. The list of features
makes the Hydroventure
a steal at $130.You can get a pair at
the Topo
Athletic website, or check the Topo Athletic Store Locator for
a store near you.Now I can only hope
that Topo Athletic makes a waterproof road shoe later this year.

Note:
I received this product in exchange for a review. The review is my
personal opinion of the product and I was not required to give a particular
opinion of it.I am not a doctor, so
please use all of the products that I review at your own risk.

5 comments:

When you say, "Now I can only hope that Topo Athletic makes a waterproof road shoe later this year", does this mean you don't think the Hydroventures are good for running on concrete for e.g. half-marathons?

I think the Hydroventure is okay for running on concrete, but I prefer a little more cushion for running on pavement. It really depends on what you like in a shoe. I would be able to do a half in them, but wouldn't recommend it for a full marathon based on my preferences. I hope that helps.

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